Wednesday, 24 May 2017

The
launch of the Tories’ ‘Welsh’ manifesto on Monday was somewhat (deliberate
understatement) overshadowed by the astonishing U-turn on a social care cap,
and the Prime Minister’s Trump-like insistence that a reversal of what has been
said just a few days previously was merely an alternative fact a minor
clarification. But it meant that the
import of some of the other things being said – in a more specifically Welsh
context – did not get the attention it deserved.

I
suppose the very fact that the ‘Welsh’ manifesto was launched by the UK leader
rather than depending on any natives should have been warning in itself (the
self-styled ‘Welsh leader’ wasn’t even present – whether by lack of invitation
or lack of inclination is unstated). But
some of the comments made should
give serious cause for concern in relation to the resilience (I was tempted to
say strength and stability) of the devolution settlement. How can these statements:

·"The United Kingdom
Government has in the past tended to 'devolve and forget'. This Conservative government will put that
right.”

·“We will work closely with
the Welsh Government for the benefit of all our people - but that will not be
the limit of our actions in Wales."

be
interpreted, other than as a clear statement that a re-elected Theresa
May would have no intention of respecting the boundaries between devolved and
non-devolved responsibilities?

And,
constitutionally, she has every right to interfere and over-rule the Welsh
Government and the National Assembly at any time of her choosing. The convention that the UK Government would
not do so is exactly what it says, a convention. And as the Article 50 Supreme
Court proceedings demonstrated, there is absolutely no requirement on the UK
Government to abide by that convention.
It underlines the truth which devolutionists would prefer that we didn’t
understand – all the powers of the National Assembly and Welsh Government are ‘on
loan’ from Westminster, and can be reclaimed at any time.

There
is one way, and only one way, of replacing the concept of sovereignty as the
inalienable right of the Crown-in-Parliament with the concept of sovereignty belonging
to the people of Wales and that is by securing Welsh independence. The Tories’ commitment to devolution is being
shown to be the same as their commitment to any other policy – it will only
last as long as the UK leader decides (which, as we’ve seen on other policy
areas, might only be days at a time).

3 comments:

Anonymous
said...

This was obvious the day after the EU referendum, when Andrew RT Davies and Alun Cairns started on the EU funds weren't spent properly and Wales has always been closer to England than Europe lines they've spouted ever since.

This Tories anti devolution return is welcome, no more pretending suits those of us who want independence, they are a clear enemy. The Tory manifesto also makes a mockery of Plaid Cymru's spineless position on welsh Independence, the roll back of powers started on 24th June Plaid Cymru should have been banging the indy drum back then and continued it instead of cwtching up to Labour.

Bottom lineEngland decides to Brexit just do the referendum mathsTheresa May tells devolved Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland that their points of view are of no significance in any Brexit negotiation

Wales was annexed to England by the so called Acts of Union

Only logical conclusion is for Wales to secede from a Union we were never a party of